The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced on May 4 that more colleges and universities in the state are prohibiting tobacco and e-cigarette use, according to its newly released 2025 Tobacco-Free Report Card.
The report shows an increase in institutions implementing tobacco-free or smoke-free campus policies, which is significant because college campuses play a key role in reducing tobacco and nicotine use among young adults. The data indicates that in 2025, 45% of Michigan’s colleges and universities had adopted a 100% tobacco-free or smoke-free policy, compared to 37% in 2022. Additionally, the number of institutions with policies banning e-cigarettes rose from about 71% to 87% over the same period.
“College and university campuses are key settings for reducing tobacco and nicotine use and supporting young adults who want to quit,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “We commend the institutions with 100% tobacco-free policies and encourage all campuses to adopt comprehensive protections. Many campus policies have been strengthened, but there are still opportunities to encourage tobacco-free environments.”
Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable illness and death across Michigan. In 2023, state data showed that more than one-fifth (20.2%) of residents aged between eighteen and twenty-four reported using e-cigarettes—more than double the rate reported by all Michigan adults at just over eight percent.
The updated report card grades each academic institution based on current policy strength regarding both traditional tobacco products and e-cigarettes. It also offers recommendations for strengthening these policies further as well as information about resources available through MDHHS’s Tobacco Section—including training, technical assistance, grant opportunities for enforcement support, prevention tools at Michigan.gov/Tobacco, as well as cessation help via the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink (800-QUIT-NOW) or My Life My Quit text service (text “Start My Quit” to 36072).
Broader implications suggest that continued adoption of strong campus-wide anti-tobacco measures could reduce overall youth smoking rates statewide while promoting healthier learning environments.
